Personal Info
Known For:
Acting
Birthday:
May 15, 1909
Place of Birth:
Huddersfield, Yorkshire, England, UK
Social Media
James Mason
Biography
James Neville Mason, known as James Mason, was an accomplished English actor who made a significant impact on both British and American cinema. He was born on May 15, 1909, in Huddersfield, Yorkshire, England, and passed away on July 27, 1984, in Lausanne, Switzerland.
Mason's acting career began in the 1930s, where he initially gained recognition for his stage performances in London's West End. He made his film debut in 1935 with the British film "Late Extra," marking the start of his illustrious on-screen journey.
Throughout his career, Mason showcased his exceptional acting abilities, often portraying complex and morally ambiguous characters. His commanding presence, distinctive voice, and versatile range allowed him to effortlessly transition between genres, from dramas to thrillers and even period pieces.
One of Mason's most acclaimed performances came in 1945 when he starred as the troubled and enigmatic Johnny McQueen in the film "Odd Man Out." His portrayal of the wounded Irish nationalist earned him widespread praise and established him as a respected leading man.
Mason's notable filmography includes memorable roles in films such as "The Wicked Lady" (1945), "Pandora and the Flying Dutchman" (1951), "A Star Is Born" (1954), "North by Northwest" (1959), and "Lolita" (1962). His ability to bring depth, sophistication, and complexity to his characters captivated audiences and garnered critical acclaim.
Beyond his film career, Mason also dabbled in producing and directing. He co-produced and starred in the acclaimed film "A Star Is Born," showcasing his multifaceted talent and creative vision.
Throughout his life, Mason was recognized with numerous awards and nominations, including three Academy Award nominations for Best Actor. He was highly regarded by his peers and critics alike for his impeccable craft and his ability to elevate any production he was a part of.
Known For
Filmography
| Year | Movie | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Sid & Judy | Self (archive footage) |
| 2012 | Lasseter's Bones | Archival Footage |
| 2011 | Passion & Poetry: Sam Peckinpah's War | Self (archive footage) |
| 2009 | Hollywood Singing and Dancing: A Musical History - The 1950s: The Golden Era of the Musical | Self (archive) |
| 2000 | Sir John Mills' Moving Memories | Self (archive footage) |
| 1995 | Roger Moore: A Matter of Class | Self (archive footage) |
| 1985 | The Shooting Party | Sir Randolph Nettleby |
| 1985 | The Assisi Underground | Bishop Nicolini |
| 1984 | James Mason: The Star They Loved to Hate | Self |
| 1984 | Dr. Fischer of Geneva | Dr. Fischer |
| 1983 | Yellowbeard | Captain Hughes |
| 1983 | Don't Eat the Pictures: Sesame Street at the Metropolitan Museum of Art | Demon |
| 1983 | Alexandre | The Father |
| 1983 | Group Madness | Self |
| 1983 | The Popes and Their Art | Presentor |
| 1982 | Evil Under the Sun | Odell Gardener |
| 1982 | The Making of Agatha Christie's 'Evil Under the Sun' | Self / Odell Gardener |
| 1982 | The Verdict | Ed Concannon |
| 1982 | Ivanhoe | Isaac of York |
| 1982 | A Dangerous Summer | George Engels |
| 1982 | The Glory of the Garden | Narrator |
| 1982 | Night of 100 Stars | Self |
| 1981 | The Search for Alexander the Great | Narrator |
| 1980 | North Sea Hijack | Admiral Brindsen |
| 1979 | Bloodline | Sir Alec Nichols |
| 1979 | Murder by Decree | Dr. Watson |
| 1979 | The Passage | Professor Bergson |
| 1978 | Heaven Can Wait | Mr. Jordan |
| 1978 | The Water Babies | Mr. Grimes / Voice of Killer Shark |
| 1978 | The Boys from Brazil | Eduard Seibert |
| 1977 | Cross of Iron | Oberst Brandt |
| 1977 | Homage to Chagall: The Colours of Love | Narrator - English version |
| 1976 | Fear in the City | Prosecutor |
| 1976 | Voyage of the Damned | Dr. Juan Remos |
| 1976 | People of the Wind | Jafar Qoli (voice) |
| 1975 | Mandingo | Warren Maxwell |
| 1975 | Kidnap Syndicate | Filippini |
| 1975 | Inside Out | Ernst Furben |
| 1975 | The Flower in His Mouth | Avv. Antonio Bellocampo |
| 1975 | The Left Hand of the Law | Senatore Leandri |
| 1975 | Autobiography of a Princess | Cyril Sahib |
| 1974 | Frankenstein: The True Story | Dr. John Polidori |
| 1974 | Great Expectations | Magwitch |
| 1974 | The Marseille Contract | Jacques Brizard |
| 1974 | 11 Harrowhouse | Charles D. Watts |
| 1973 | John Keats: His Life and Death | Narrator |
| 1973 | The Last of Sheila | Philip |
| 1973 | The MacKintosh Man | Sir George Wheeler |
| 1973 | The Reformation: Age of Revolt | Narrator |
| 1972 | The Wind in the Wires | Narrator |
| 1972 | Child's Play | Jerome Malley |
| 1972 | Home, James | Self |
| 1971 | Bad Man's River | Francisco Paco Montero |
| 1971 | Kill! | Alan Hamilton |
| 1970 | Cold Sweat | Captain Ross |
| 1970 | The Yin and the Yang of Mr. Go | Y.Y. Go |
| 1970 | Spring and Port Wine | Rafe Crompton |
| 1969 | Age of Consent | Bradley Morahan |
| 1968 | Mayerling | Franz Joseph I of Austria |
| 1968 | The London Nobody Knows | Himself - Narrator |
| 1968 | Duffy | Charles Calvert |
| 1968 | The Sea Gull | Trigorin |
| 1967 | The Deadly Affair | Charles Dobbs |
| 1967 | Cop-Out | John Sawyer |
| 1966 | Georgy Girl | James Leamington |
| 1966 | The Blue Max | General Count von Klugermann |
| 1965 | Genghis Khan | Kam Ling |
| 1965 | Lord Jim | Gentleman Brown |
| 1965 | Uncertain Verification | (archive footage) |
| 1965 | The Uninhibited | Pascal Regnier |
| 1964 | The Fall of the Roman Empire | Timonides |
| 1964 | The Pumpkin Eater | Bob Conway |
| 1963 | Torpedo Bay | Captain Blayne |
| 1962 | Lolita | Prof. Humbert Humbert |
| 1962 | Theatre 62: Rebecca | Maxim de Winter |
| 1962 | Tiara Tahiti | Captain Brett Aimsley |
| 1962 | Escape from Zahrain | Johnson |
| 1962 | Hero's Island | Jacob Weber |
| 1961 | The Marriage-Go-Round | Paul Delville |
| 1960 | A Touch of Larceny | Cmdr. Max Easton |
| 1960 | The Trials of Oscar Wilde | Edward Carson |
| 1960 | John Brown's Raid | John Brown |
| 1959 | North by Northwest | Phillip Vandamm |
| 1959 | Journey to the Center of the Earth | Sir Oliver S. Lindenbrook |
| 1958 | Cry Terror! | Jim Molner |
| 1958 | The Decks Ran Red | Capt. Edwin Rummill |
| 1957 | Island in the Sun | Maxwell Fleury |
| 1956 | Bigger Than Life | Ed Avery |
| 1956 | Forever, Darling | The Guardian Angel |
| 1954 | 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea | Captain Nemo |
| 1954 | A Star Is Born | Norman Maine |
| 1954 | Prince Valiant | Sir Brack |
| 1954 | The Star of Bethlehem | Himself |
| 1953 | The Man Between | Ivo Kern |
| 1953 | The Desert Rats | Field Marshal Erwin von Rommel |
| 1953 | Julius Caesar | Brutus |
| 1953 | The Tell-Tale Heart | Narrator |
| 1953 | The Story of Three Loves | Charles Coutray |
| 1953 | Charade | The Murderer / Maj. Linden / Jonah Watson |
| 1952 | The Prisoner of Zenda | Rupert of Hentzau |
| 1952 | 5 Fingers | Ulysses Diello |
| 1952 | Botany Bay | Capt. Paul Gilbert |
| 1952 | Face to Face | The Captain |
| 1952 | Lady Possessed | Jimmy Del Palma |
| 1952 | Ellis in Freedomland | The Refrigerator (voice) |
| 1951 | The Desert Fox: The Story of Rommel | Field Marshal Erwin Rommel |
| 1951 | Pandora and the Flying Dutchman | Hendrik van der Zee |
| 1950 | One Way Street | Dr. Frank Matson |
| 1949 | The Reckless Moment | Martin Donnelly |
| 1949 | Caught | Larry Quinada |
| 1949 | Madame Bovary | Gustave Flaubert |
| 1949 | East Side, West Side | Brandon Bourne |
| 1947 | Odd Man Out | Johnny McQueen |
| 1947 | The Upturned Glass | Michael Joyce |
| 1945 | The Wicked Lady | Captain Jerry Jackson |
| 1945 | A Place of One's Own | Henry Smedhurst |
| 1945 | The Seventh Veil | Nicholas Cunningham |
| 1945 | They Were Sisters | Geoffrey Lee |
| 1944 | Hotel Reserve | Peter Vadassy |
| 1944 | Fanny by Gaslight | Lord Manderstoke |
| 1944 | Candlelight in Algeria | Alan Thurston |
| 1943 | The Man in Grey | Lord Rohan |
| 1943 | They Met in the Dark | Richard Francis Heritage |
| 1943 | The Bells Go Down | Ted Robbins |
| 1942 | Secret Mission | Raoul de Carnot |
| 1942 | Hatter's Castle | Dr. Renwick |
| 1942 | Thunder Rock | Streeter |
| 1942 | The Night Has Eyes | Stephen Deremid |
| 1942 | Alibi | Andre Laurent |
| 1941 | The Patient Vanishes | Mick Cardby |
| 1939 | I Met a Murderer | Mark Warrow |
| 1939 | Bees on the Boat-Deck | Robert Patch |
| 1939 | The Miser | Valere - In love with Elise |
| 1939 | The Circle | Edward Luton |
| 1938 | Cyrano de Bergerac | Christian de Neuvillette |
| 1938 | The Moon in the Yellow River | Darrell Blake |
| 1937 | Fire Over England | Hillary Vane |
| 1937 | The High Command | Capt. Heverell |
| 1937 | Return of the Scarlet Pimpernel | Jean Tallien |
| 1937 | The Mill on the Floss | Tom Tulliver |
| 1937 | Catch as Catch Can | Robert Leyland |
| 1936 | Secret of Stamboul | Larry |
| 1936 | Troubled Waters | John Merriman |
| 1936 | Prison Breaker | 'Bunny' Barnes |
| 1936 | Blind Man's Bluff | Stephen Neville |
| 1936 | Twice Branded | Henry Hamilton |
| 1935 | Late Extra | Jim Martin |